June 26, 2007

A Day in the Life

What Makes a Man?The boys were engaged in a deep conversation about the relativity of age. It was interesting to listen to their perspectives on aging. Wrapping up their theories Everest commented profoundly: If a dad is forty then a grandpa must be 125. Knodding, they all seemed to agree and ran out to play.

Feeling His AgeHudson thought turning 2 was pretty cool and was really getting into this birthday thing. Our favorite question to ask him was: How old are you? “OOOOld” he answers tilting his head to the side with a forlorn look upon his face.

Only the privilegedWhen you tell Hudson “ I love you”, he kindly replies, “Welcome”

To Be Seen or Not to Be SeenIsaac is very conscious about what’s hip and what’s not. One Sunday morning I decided to curl my hair. Upon exiting my room with curlers in my hair I met Isaac face to face. With hands on his hips he said, “ mom, you don’t look very cool,” Taken off guard I stumbled for a response. Apparently he took this as a protest from my part and reassured me with a “really, really mom you don’t”. On another occasion I was freezing and Cameron lent me his suit coat. Isaac leaned over and whispered, “Mom you don’t look so cool, really”. Wanting me to take it off. I assured him I would, just as soon as I warmed up. On the flip side, I do get it right every so often. Ready to go out and waiting down stairs at Dad’s desk. Isaac bounces over and hops into my lap. “You look really cool, mom, really!” he exclaimed with a big grin.

The TalentedCameron had been introducing a few fun magic tricks to the boys. So they’ve jumped in and tried out a few of their own. While making my rounds at bedtime one night, Isaac sitting there in bed with a washcloth says “Mom, Look at my magic trick!” I sit down beside him and he tosses the washcloth on top of his head, patting it he exclaims, “Look, no hair!” Then with slight of hand he quickly removes the washcloth and again exclaims, “Look hair!” Beaming the whole time with an ear to ear grin.

Weightier MattersYou know you’ve got problems when you’re too heavy for yourself. When ever Hudson is tired of walking he slumps his shoulders over and with a pathetic little face and even more sad little whimper looks up at you with an even more sad little whimper, “heeeaavy”. Hoping to get someone to swoop him up and put him on a hip or pair of shoulders. I’m thinking he learned this little trick on our hike up Stuart Falls last month.

Anything for AttentionI was trying to do a quick mop before dinner when Edison ran in the kitchen and grabbed me by the hands. He yelled, “ mop the floor with me! Mom, Mop the floor with me!” Wanting me to swing him through my legs and back across the floor.

When Reality HitsI bought a couple of kids’ cookbooks in an effort to encourage a broader palate in our boys. They’re full of color and pictures and really creative dishes. Some simple and healthy and some just silly and fun. There was one that really caught Edison’s eye, the potato mice. Twice baked potatoes made to look like mice with radish slices for ears and other garnishing. He kept digging through the pantry and asking if we had everything to make it. No, we’d have to go the store for radishes. Once at he store I showed him a radish and he was so excited. I quietly mentioned that he had to eat his potato mice not just make them. He stopped in mid bounce with an “oh”.

A Get Away Gone Sour (for some)I accompanied Cameron on a business trip to CA. The boys were excited to stay at their grandparents for a few days until it was bed time. Having trouble getting to sleep Edison commented, “I knew we shouldn’t have come here” and Everest followed with an, “I’d rather sleep in the wild”.

Good Things ComeWhen a neighbor boy ran down the street waving his t-ball trophy in the air for all to see. Everest and Edison looked at each other quietly. They had one more game to play before their season was over. When their little friend headed back home Everest leaned over to Edison and said quietly consoling his brother, “in T-ball it’s easy to get a trophy. In coach pitch it takes a lot longer.”

Time for a BreakIt was one of those days where dad was working away on the computer the entire day. Edison was helping me make sandwiches when dad came up for a snack Edison asked “dad do you like pickles?” Dad said with a glazed look (what we call computer head) “No, I don’t like pixels”.

Whoopie!Isaac went to the arcades with his dad for some ‘one on one/man to man’ time. Upon their return he came bouncing up the stairs bubbling with excitement. “MOM, I got two surprises, come down stairs and I’ll show you!” Down we go as he leads me by the hand bouncing all the way. He exclaims proudly as he holds up, “Two Stinker Pots!” , “you sit on them and they go pppPPPPPppppbbbbbbbbbbbtttttthhhhhhh !” he explains with hand motions like a lightening/thunderstorm he shakes his hands in the air.

One InterpretationIsaac was the only one left awake to see the space craft zoom across the air. We all ran out and looked in the sky, sure enough there it was speeding along while Cameron explained to Isaac that there were people on board as it orbited the earth. “Really?!” he replied, “Really?!” with a beaming grin and twinkling eyes that lit up the night’s sky. The next day he was excitedly telling his brothers what they missed, “Last night we saw a space ship! That had creatures on it, Really!”

Less is More, Right?In preparation for a trip to Seattle I was telling the boys about the hotel we’d be staying at and the restaurants as well all the people we’d be meeting. I took the opportunity to promote good table manners and casually mentioned we could practice our manners right now at dinner. Barely ending my suggestion Everest pipes up, “But, I already have a manner”.

Straight to the SourceWrinkling his nose while swiping at it Isaac obviously bothered cries out, “Moooooooooooom, I have something in my nose again, really, I can smell it.”